International Engagement: Moroccan Ambassador Highlights Achievements of Moroccan Women in Conference

On April 23, the Faculty of Humanities, together with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Chile and the Mohammed VI Cultural Center for the Dialogue of Civilizations, opened a window to the northwest of Africa for the entire USACH community through the lecture "Moroccan Women on the Path to Emancipation: Achievements and Challenges," delivered by Dr. Kenza El Ghali, the first ambassador of the kingdom in our country.

 

Upon arriving at our university, the embassy delegation composed of Dr. El Ghali, Dr. Mohcine Mounjid, director of the cultural center, and Zaynab Haimad, cultural advisor of the embassy, held a fruitful and virtuous meeting with USACH authorities, namely: Dr. Ana María Fernández Tapia, Vice-Rector of Public Engagement and Outreach; Fernando Olmos Galleguillos, Director of the Department of International Relations (DRII); Dr. Cristina Moyano Barahona, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities; Dr. Roxana Orrego Ramírez, Director of Outreach FAHU; and Carolina Cabrera Matus, Head of the FAHU Library.

 

“We are not a unit with a single specific function. We support the generation, dissemination, and, ultimately, the democratization of knowledge, as well as bilateral relations that promote culture and diversity. Therefore, what has been developed this time by the Faculty of Humanities aligns with the university’s mission in these matters,” highlighted the Vice-Rector of VIME regarding this meeting.

 

Similarly, the DRII Director added that “we celebrate that the faculties engage with institutions and diplomatic delegations, and we are particularly pleased that it is with Africa, as it is one of the destinations we are trying to promote. In fact, we recently signed the first inter-university agreement between the University of Santiago and a Moroccan university. This opening allows us to strengthen relationships and explore new forms of international collaboration.”

 

Subsequently, the lecture took place, in which the ambassador contextualized the struggle for women's rights in Morocco and emphasized the country's historical commitment to gender equality. She also highlighted the progress made in promoting women's rights, with a special emphasis on the inclusion of rights in the family code and the national constitution. The lecture was an opportunity to reflect on current and future challenges, especially in the fight against discrimination.

 

“We are very happy about this visit,” said Dean Moyano enthusiastically in her opening speech. “Although it is a culture we view as distant and often see only through Western prisms, it is through these instances that we can generate dialogues to establish much more intense dynamics of understanding and less stereotype-laden.”

 

In recent decades, Morocco has witnessed a significant process of social transformation, “however, we cannot take these changes for granted, as we also observe with amazement and fear that there are significant backsliding processes in many parts of the world,” warned the dean.

 

Moreover, “for a long time, those of us who have participated either as academics or as feminist activists believed that some issues were resolved, archived, and part of our civilizational conquest, but that is not the case. In this sense, it is necessary to recognize the policy implemented in Morocco in favor of women's rights, which has emerged as a platform for gender equality. Not only to grant specific rights but also to eradicate discrimination and establish a more equitable society,” emphasized the Dean.

 

“Without a doubt, this activity is part of our engagement policy, as since the beginning of Dean Dr. Moyano’s term, we have been strongly advancing our collaboration with embassies to raise awareness of cultural issues. Last year we established relations with India and Ireland, and this year we started with Morocco. It is very important that these activities continue to be developed for the comprehensive development of our university community,” stressed Dr. Orrego.

 

Following this joyful event, Dr. El Ghali commented, “being today in such an emblematic institution as USACH is a very interesting and important event for me as it consolidates the relationship we have achieved in the framework of academic cooperation.”

 

In addition to the above, the ambassador leaves an open message to the students currently studying at our university: “to be able to have more rights and conquer more spaces, we must have the instrument of knowledge on our side. We must strive for perfection and dare to be, putting all our efforts into the fight for equality, not only for future generations but also so that we can enjoy it ourselves.”